In the opening period, the hometown Terriers struck first, capitalizing on the power play to grab the early lead. Jye Zawatsky took a pass from Gabriel Courchesne and slipped a shot under the arm of Spencer Michnik for his third of the playoffs.
Yorkton had another opportunity with the man advantage but couldn’t convert, while the North Stars earned their first power play late in the period as Zawatsky was called for slashing right at the horn.
The Terriers held the edge in shots, outshooting Battlefords 8–4 in the opening frame.
The middle period opened up into a fast-paced, back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading chances. Each side had opportunities on the power play, but neither could capitalize. In fact, it was the Terriers who generated the best looks while shorthanded, as Henrikson, McDonald, and Horbachewsky each had Grade-A chances, only to be denied by Michnik, keeping it 1-0 Yorkton.
At the other end, Callum Creig was sharp, turning aside all 14 shots he faced in the period.
In the third, the visitors found their push. Finlay Klippenstein pulled the North Stars even with a quick release past Creig, and less than five minutes later, struck again from in front after the Terriers were unable to clear their zone, giving Battlefords a 2-1 lead.
Trailing late, Yorkton earned a power play and opted to pull the goaltender in search of the equalizer. However, Josh Knittig sealed the game with an empty-net goal, as the North Stars skated away with a split in Yorkton.
Creig finished with 26 saves in the loss.
The series now shifts north for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday, with puck drop set for 7:30 PM both nights.
